"A poetry slam is a great way to engage teens in writing, reading, and reacting. Once you've got your poets…
- Set your rules for the slam. Set a time limit, typically three minutes, and announce the judging process. In poetry slams, audience applause, and feedback, have been used.
- Find a supportive venue. A comfortable coffee house or nonintimidating venue such as a café, deli, or bookstore makes a great environment for a slam. It needs to be a place where teens feel comfortable hanging out.
- Find a supportive crowd. Most cities and towns have a community of artists and writers. Make contact, perhaps through a bookstore, university, or coffee shop, with writers interested in encouraging young people.
- Educate the educators. Build a relationship with other teachers — in person, by phones and/or through distribution of registration packets. Send out documents describing the program, including schedules, judging criteria, rules, and fees.
- Follow up initial info. Two or three months before an event, send a follow-up fax to schools reminding them to register for your slam. Two weeks before the fest, contact those who haven't responded to see if they have questions. Assist them with last-minute registration.
- Set up a support network. Ask school staff if they'd like veteran performance poets to come to the school to demonstrate slam techniques. Solicit writers to participate. Assist in scheduling the visiting poets for interested schools.
- Check out the web. Peruse websites devoted to poetry slamming, including www.poetryslam.com and www.anthology.org."
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